The CRUST project

Facts:

Main developer: GDF SUEZ

The CRUST project is a CO2 geological storage demonstration project, and was launced by the Dutch government in 2002. CRUST aims to make an inventory of possible sequestration sites, to study legal and environmental aspects and the possibilities for CO2 re-use.

Gaz de France Production Nederland B.V. (GPN) currently produces natural gas from various gas production installations on the Dutch continental shelf of the North Sea. At one of it’s platforms – K12-B about 100km offshore – CO2 has been separated from natural gas. The separation unit is activated MDEA process licensed from BASF. The extracted CO2 was vented to the atmosphere.

Since May 2004 the vented CO2 gas is compressed and injected into the same gas reservoir. Until now the CO2 is injected in a part of the reservoir that is not producing anymore, in this way interference with the gas producing wells is prevented. Since the start-up the injection project is running very well, no major problems were encountered.

The pilot test injection amount is restricted to 20,000 ton CO2/year. In a later stage the injection amount can be scaled up to 480,000 ton/year. The project is 90% financed by the government and 10% by Gaz de France. This project is important in order to prove that long term storage in depleted gas reservoirs is possible.

Other Sources and Press Release:

Use of CO2 tracers
K12B Power point (2006) [PDF]